O is a water-themed stage production by Cirque du Soleil, a Canadian circus and entertainment company. The show has been in permanent residence at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, since October 1998. O, whose name is pronounced the same way as eau, the French word for "water", takes place in, around and above a 1.5-million-US-gallon (5,700 m3) pool of water, featuring water acts such as synchronized swimming as well as aerial and ground acts. The O theatre, which is designed to resemble a 14th-century European opera house, has 1,800 seats, thus allowing the performance to be watched by 3,600 people a night since the performance usually plays twice in a given day, also designed to meet the special demands of the show.[2]

O was inspired by the "infinity and elegance of water's pure form," which pays tribute to the beauty of the theater. A group of 150 stage technicians assist in the production of the show, the cast of which is 85 performers: international acrobats, synchronized swimmers, and divers. Some of them are former Olympic athletes.[2]

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Since late October 2010, Cirque du Soleil has offered backstage tours of the O theatre. The experience allows visitors to see the backstage wings, training rooms, costume workshop, break area, underwater lighting area, and go up to a catwalk into the sound and lighting booths. Not every experience will be the same as the tour is conducted around a "regular day", so performers may or may not be training, rehearsing, or even working out.[3][4][5]

As of early 2011, O has grossed over a billion dollars since the show opening in 1998.[6]

The show has a cast of 85 acrobats, synchronized swimmers and divers performing in and above a 1.5 million-gallon pool. When maintenance needs to be performed, the pool is drained in about 12 hours to the Bellagio Lake, causing the lake's water level to rise 1 inch (25 mm).[9] The pool is kept at 88 °F (31 °C) and has an underwater communication system and regulators that allow performers to breathe underwater.[10] Every member of the cast is scuba-certified.

The underwater stage lift was produced by Handling Specialty.[11] In order for the platform stage to rise and fall in the water without a wake, the surface of the stage has thousands of tiny holes which were drilled out by the Cirque du Soleil team.

Heaters under each seat help control the theatre temperature for the audience; the goal is to maintain two temperature zones in the theatre. The stage is kept at a higher temperature while the audience area is kept at a lower temperature. A temperature sensor every few seats in the theatre helps to ensure the audience area is maintained at the correct temperature.[12]

To minimize damage to the musical instruments, the musicians play from glass enclosures in the theater. Some of the musical instruments used in the show are more than 100 years old. The unique string instrument heard in the soundtrack of O is an erhu, a traditional Chinese bowed string instrument.

To maintain a fresh look on the performers, some performers have multiple sets of costumes so they may reappear dry despite having been in the water. Some of the costumes only have a lifespan of approximately 20 shows due to the bromide and chlorine in the water.[12][13]

Some additional facts about the show include these below.

Some of the props function as boats, like the umbrella that Le Vieux rides on the water.

There are 15 technicians underwater during the show, performing various tasks such as artist handling and props manipulation.

The horses that the Comets ride in the show weigh 900 pounds (410 kg).[14]

Hanging 49 feet above the stage, the carousel and téléphérique (a conveyor system) carries tons of equipment as well as performers during the show.

Most of the props that are used during the show are actually driven by the Performers who ride them. For instance, the carousel horses have a small propeller underneath their tails; they are controlled by a joystick located on the back of the horse.

Guifà (Philemon): A young Sicilian boy whose curiosity and quest for adventure transport him into the magical realm of O.

Eugen (Le Vieux): The guide and the guardian of the theatre. As his character journeys from dark to white, he embodies the cyclical aspects of life where everything old becomes new again.

Le Travesti (The Transvestite): He is a dancer wearing the clothes of a wicked woman; his cries resound throughout the theater.

Comets: Clad in red jackets and white hair, the Comets soar through the air on silks. They also accompany the principal characters as they make their entrances and exits and provide assistance during some acts.

Le Voleur Masqué (The Masked Thief): He is a masked character with many faces who plays with fire.

L'Allume (Man on Fire): He is a pyromaniac who is seen completely set on fire.

Les Zèbres: The zebras add a touch of playfulness throughout the show and perform in the Cadre act.

Costumes for O drew inspiration from many sources: commedia dell'arte, the Baroque, India, the Arabian Nights, as well as Venetian courtly fashions. The costumes' silhouettes are defined by the design and are accentuated by the transparency of the selected materials and fabrics. Many costumes' base design are leotards which are then expounded upon: this includes the Zebras and Flayed Ones, among others. The Flayed Ones' leotards, for example, originally had hand-painted muscles on them, as digital screen-printing was inaccessible at the time of creation. Another special attribute critical to costumes in O is their treatment to help withstand the water and chemicals in it. To achieve this feat, roughly 40% of the costumes have been applied with a specific type of silicon sizing. In addition, the materials chosen are more durable and had to be able to both mould to the performer's body and dry quickly.[18] Over the years the best fabric found for the costumes has been nylon mesh, which performs well either wet or dry.[19]

A few additional facts regarding the costumes include these below.[19]

A separate room was built with timed heaters and fans to air-dry many of the costumes which cannot be tumble-dried.

Sixty loads of laundry are done nightly to wash the costumes which can be machine washed.

The music of O was composed by Benoit Jutras and features a mix of classical Western and world instrumentation, including Chinese violin (erhu), bagpipes, African guitar and harp (kora), Colombian guitar, cello, ancient woodwinds and a wide variety of percussion instruments.[21] During the show, the score is performed by a live band situated behind glass walls above and to the side of the stage. The glass protects the musicians' equipment from moisture damage.

O’s music was recorded at the Bellagio and released on November 24, 1998. (ASINB00000FDJZ) The songs of which are listed below with their corresponding act in parentheses.[22] The album was re-released on September 6, 2005. (ASINB000A2H9WU)

In 2007 Cirque du Soleil released the film Flow (A Tribute to the Artists of "O"). The documentary was filmed in the O theatre and by the Colorado River. The film shows certain artists performing out around the river as well as on stage and provides information on the necessary technical equipment used to produce the performance. Bonus features of Flow include: performance clips, Russian swing act, technical information and film below the surface of the O pool, and information about the creation of O itself.[23]

In 2009 Flow won the Prix Italia award for the category of Creativity in High Definition.[7]